Chapter 40.1

Qi Feng did not return that night, and his absence stretched on for several days.

Although the camp appeared outwardly unchanged, those within it knew that it had already entered a wartime alert status.

Previously, the sentinels would patrol only the camp and its surrounding perimeter, with each shift sending out a small squad. But now, even the family compound was included in the patrol area, and the number of soldiers participating in the patrol had increased.

Every day, Engineer Ning and Old Hua still came to Yin Xiaoman’s house for meals, but they were no longer alone. Each time, two soldiers would accompany them. The timing had also become fixed, and at the appointed hour, the soldiers would arrive as scheduled to wait by the gate.

Quietly and without notice, the atmosphere had grown tense.

Yin Xiaoman still occasionally went to the dining hall. Now, due to a shortage of personnel for the patrols, a few new cooks had been temporarily reassigned to patrol duty, leaving the kitchen understaffed.

There were no longer people going out to gather seafood, so in order to ensure the soldiers received enough nutrition, they had to rely on the dried seafood they had stored earlier.

Therefore, Yin Xiaoman was left with the task of teaching them ways to make these preserved and dried foods taste good.

As she went there more often, she gradually heard some news from the outside.

It was said that, besides Qi Feng, the vice colonel had also taken a platoon of soldiers to the county town to assist the local public security in conducting a population check.

Now, only one deputy instructor was left at the camp to guard the base.

She also heard that this matter had caused quite a stir, with not only the regiment sending people but also the division sending personnel to investigate…

After hearing a jumble of information, Yin Xiaoman couldn’t tell what was true and what wasn’t.

However, she had heard that the matter had been taken seriously, and because it was discovered early, it hadn’t caused any damage to the country or the military unit. This news brought her a sense of relief.

About a week passed like this, and then, one morning, when it was already time for the meal, Engineer Ning and Old Hua still hadn’t arrived.

Yin Xiaoman became a bit worried.

She stood at the gate, constantly gazing down the small path outside, fearing something might have happened to the two elderly men.

Because it was wartime and the guesthouse where the two elderly people stayed was off-limits to others, Yin Xiaoman had no way to inquire about what had happened.

By the time the food had cooled, Yin Xiaoman, feeling helpless, had no choice but to let the two children eat first. She then ran to Cui Yan’s house to ask about the situation.

Cui Yan was just as confused, having no idea what was going on.

“Don’t worry, and don’t be anxious.” Cui Yan said. “Engineer Ning and the others are staying at the camp. They’ll be fine. To put it bluntly, if anything really happens, someone will come and tell us.”

But unexpectedly, just as Cui Yan finished speaking, Qi Feng pushed the door open and entered.

He didn’t even talk to Cui Yan first. He looked at Yin Xiaoman and asked: “What are you doing here? I just had a hard time finding you.”

This was the first time Yin Xiaoman had seen Qi Feng since he had reported the situation that day. From his words, it seemed that after returning, he hadn’t gone home but had come straight to her place.

What could it be? It was definitely related to the two elderly people!

Yin Xiaoman immediately became nervous.

“Qi Big Brother, I just came to ask if Sister-in-law knows what happened to Engineer Ning and the others. Why didn’t they come for breakfast this morning? Do you know what happened to them?”

Seeing the look on Yin Xiaoman’s face, Qi Feng immediately understood that she had misunderstood. He quickly waved his hand and said: “Don’t worry, they are fine. They were just urgently relocated.”

“Urgently relocated?”

Yin Xiaoman and Cui Yan almost asked in unison.

Not just Yin Xiaoman, but even Cui Yan was stunned. “What exactly happened? Why did they suddenly get relocated?”

“It’s not exactly sudden.” Qi Feng explained. “The two elderly people have a special status, and they were already key individuals under protection. The reason they stayed at our camp was for safety.

Now that the case at the munitions factory hasn’t been solved and something has happened here, it’s clear that it’s no longer suitable for them to stay. So, they had to leave, though I didn’t expect the orders to come so urgently.”

After explaining, he looked at Yin Xiaoman again. “I was the one who rushed back last night to send them off. The two elderly people repeatedly asked me to tell you that they are very grateful for your care during this time and hope to maintain contact in the future. They said once they are settled, they will write to you, and they hope to receive a reply from you when the time comes.”

At this point, Qi Feng couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head, his tone filled with a sense of admiration.

“Looks like they really have developed feelings. I think those two elderly people genuinely like you. They weren’t just being polite when they said that; they really consider you like a junior in their family.

Because they couldn’t personally say goodbye to you, you don’t know how regretful they were all the way. They wanted to complain but couldn’t, but you can be sure that their mood was definitely very bad.

You wouldn’t believe it, but they had their faces so long during the whole trip that it was hard to look at them!”

In fact, who else could be more regretful besides the two elderly people?

Yin Xiaoman never imagined that the information she had been asking about for so long would end up being this. If she had known earlier, she would have made sure to prepare more food for the two elderly people.

She would have also packed some dry rations for them!

Engineer Ning didn’t like the food on the train at all, and Mr. Hua had a weak stomach, needing to eat something gentle. She had no idea how many days the return trip would take, and she was worried it might aggravate his stomach problems.

She didn’t say anything, but her brows furrowed with a hint of worry. She might not have realized it herself, but to others, it clearly seemed like she was concerned about the elderly family members at home.

Yin Xiaoman then asked Qi Feng about Xiao Yao’s situation, as she had heard something about him at Xiao Yao’s house before.

This time, their journey had also started from the child’s family.

She had never had the chance to ask before, but she had always been worried about Xiao Yao, afraid that the situation might bring some trouble to the child.

“Speaking of that kid, he’s actually a martyr’s family member from our team.”

When Yin Xiaoman asked about Xiao Yao, Qi Feng first sighed. “His father was on a maritime patrol before. He sacrificed himself to protect a lone fishing boat that was being shot at from the other side. He didn’t even make it to the hospital. Left behind were the mother and child. For these years, it’s just been the two of them, depending on each other.”

Hearing this, Yin Xiaoman suddenly realized. The two times she had traded with Xiao Yao, the kid had only ever wanted nutritional products.

Eggs, honey… When she initially suggested exchanging fabric, he had directly rejected her.

At this point, Yin Xiaoman suddenly felt a pang of discomfort in her heart.

“Is his mother’s health bad?” she asked instinctively.

“How did you know?” Qi Feng was quite surprised.

Seeing Yin Xiaoman purse her lips and not speak, he quickly realized.

He gave her a complex look before nodding. “Yes, speaking of it, Xiao Yao’s situation isn’t easy. His mother has severe rheumatism, and for these past few years, she hasn’t even been able to get out of bed, let alone work.

The government gave a small pension when his father passed away, but that money was all spent on his mother’s medical bills over time. Now the whole family survives on just 15 yuan a month from the martyr’s family subsidy.

That amount isn’t even enough to cover his mother’s medical treatment, so…”

At this point, he glanced at Yin Xiaoman again. “But things won’t be like that anymore! I’ve already reported his situation to the team. Given that he contributed this time, his identity has been exposed. Staying there could be dangerous.

The team promised to handle it as a special case and will reassign them a new place to live. They’ll also help them find suitable jobs, ensuring a stable future. So, Xiao Yao won’t be around that street anymore, and you two should avoid going there!”

After saying this, he gave both women a stern look.

After being scolded by the political instructor, Yin Xiaoman obediently didn’t dare to argue. Once he finished speaking, she quickly bid him farewell and left.

Upon returning home, she suddenly realized that, amidst all the chaos, she had been so distracted that she hadn’t gone to Imperial Kitchen in a long time.

Even the shrimp and jellyfish she had traded with Xiao Yao last time hadn’t been delivered to Li Chun yet.

She told Da Bao that she was tired and was going to lie down in her room, asking him to keep an eye on his sister and not to disturb her unless necessary. Yin Xiaoman then closed the door and directly went to the room in the palace.

After all these days, the large prawns she had hastily stored in the tin bucket were still there, exactly as they had been when she first put them in. Even the water in the bucket hadn’t diminished.

At the sight of this, she finally felt relieved.

Yin Xiaoman hadn’t planned to give all the prawns to Li Chun.

Since Xiao Yao no longer lived in that alley, it was unlikely she would have a chance to go back anytime soon. She wanted to keep a bit for her own family to eat.

The abalones were the same.

These were rich and fleshy, and if prepared well, they were even better than braised pork.

As for the jellyfish, clams, and other shellfish she had stored earlier, it didn’t matter. The sea was full of them, and if they weren’t in her house, she could easily go pick some up anytime.

…